Summer 2019 among the wettest of the past century

This summer was one of the wettest of the past century in the UK, figures from the Met Office show.

The three months from June to August were the UK’s 12th hottest summer on record, with periods of sweltering heat including a new high for the country of 38.7C at Cambridge University Botanic Garden on July 25.

But while hot summers tend to be drier than average, for the UK as a whole, summer 2019 was the seventh wettest in records that go back to 1910.

(PA Graphics)

Scotland had its second wettest summer on record, only surpassed by 1985, the figures from the Met Office show.

In England, Cheshire, Northumberland and Derbyshire had the wettest summer conditions.

Compared with the average for 1981 to 2010, Cheshire had 179% of its average rainfall for the season, while Northumberland had 174%.

Derbyshire, where residents had to be evacuated from Whaley Bridge over fears a dam could collapse following heavy rain, had 173% of the average.

Heavy rain damaged a dam near the town of Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire (Danny Lawson/PA)

Tim Legg, of the Met Office’s National Climate Information Centre, said: “Overall summer 2019 was the 12th warmest on record since 1910 across the UK, but unusually this summer was also relatively wet.

“Previous hot summers have been largely dry but this summer was seventh wettest overall in the UK in a series dating back to 1910.”

He added: “The picture for each of the three months was different depending on where you were in the UK.

“Southern England and Wales endured the heaviest rainfall in June, whereas Scotland and northernmost parts of England saw the heaviest rainfall in August.”

The figures also show the average temperature across the UK was 15.2C – 0.8C above the long-term average for 1981 to 2010.

Sunshine figures were close to average, with Kent the sunniest county, enjoying 736 hours of sunny weather – 116% of the expected amount.